


The Cat Magnet

by monstabaebae



Category: NCT (Band), NCT Dream
Genre: College AU, Drabble, Fluff, Friendship, M/M, Oneshot, Slice of Life, best friends renjun and chenle, jeno wants a friend, renjuns cat loves jeno, renjuns cat's name is eclair, track star jeno
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-16
Updated: 2020-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:07:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,784
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23178208
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/monstabaebae/pseuds/monstabaebae
Summary: Renjun's cat goes missing and ends up in the dorm of the school heart throb, Lee Jeno.
Relationships: Huang Ren Jun/Lee Jeno
Comments: 12
Kudos: 153





	The Cat Magnet

**Author's Note:**

> Hiya everyone!  
> Here's another random drabble, this time with NoRen! This fic popped into my head randomly so it may be a bit all over the place, but let me know what you think in the comments below! :)

Renjun was about to be late for class.

This had nothing to do with waking up late, or staying up all night and waking up hungover. He was too much of an honest kid to do something that irresponsible.

No, Renjun was late for school because of a totally different reason.

His cat had escaped the dorm.

_Again._

“Éclair!” Renjun hissed, desperately searching the quiet hallways in search of the feline. He had to make sure not to wake anyone up. The last thing he needed was to get kicked out for housing an animal in the dorms.

He checked his phone and cursed. Class started in 15 minutes: he couldn’t search for much longer…

Suddenly, he saw a flash of a black tail out of the corner of his eye. He watched it disappear behind an open door and chased after it. “Éclair-!” He exclaimed in relief, reaching out for the cat-

Until the door opened.

Looking down at him, with his signature eye smile and grin, was one of the last faces Renjun wanted to see. The school track star and heart throb, Lee Jeno.

He was looking unfairly breathtaking in his glasses, a t shirt that showed off his toned torso and some grey sweatpants. He looked like he just got out of the shower, slightly damp and flushed. No wonder everyone had the hots for him It was a gorgeous sight. Renjun almost hated to admit the fact.

“Renjun.” Jeno greeted, his smile sending Renjun’s insides twisting. “You look a bit flustered. Did you need help with something?”

Renjun hid his blush and tried to grab the cat as quickly as possible, trying not to make a scene with a fake laugh. “N-No, I was just passing by. I accidentally dropped my, um, you know...”

Raising a brow, Jeno blinked and looked at his feet, to where Éclair was happily rubbing on the athlete’s leg. “Were you, by chance, looking for this furry angel?”

Busted.

Sighing, Renjun nodded, glaring at Éclair. “Actually, yes. He’s my cat, only until I can find him a new home.”

“Oh yeah, the school has a strict policy against pets in the dorms, don’t they?” Jeno murmured, bending down to pet the cat between the ears. Éclair purred loudly at the attention.

At once, Renjun tensed. He barely knew Jeno outside of his classes. What happened if he decided to turn Renjun into the principal for having a pet? He could get expelled and lose his scholarship! He couldn’t let that happen.

Trying not to show his fear, Renjun rubbed his neck. “I know we barely talk but, can I ask you for a favor?”

Jeno looked up from the cat and met Renjun’s gaze. “What kind of favor?”

It took every fiber of Renjun’s being to not blush under that open gaze. “I-I need you to keep quiet about the cat, until I find it a new home. I-I can’t afford to lose my scholarship, so please… don’t tell anyone about this. Please?”

Jeno was silent for a few moments, his gaze unreadable. Then, he nodded. “Sure, that’s fine with me.”

Renjun released a breath he didn’t know he had been holding. “Thank you, so much.”

“You just have to be my friend in return.” Jeno waved his hand, picking up Éclair and placing the cat into Renjun’s arms with a smile.

Renjun blinked. Then, opened his mouth to speak, shocked. “W-Wait, that’s-“

“See you later, new friend!” The door closed behind the athlete, leaving Renjun in the hallway with the cat purring happily in his arms.

_What the hell was that?!_

“So, the famous Lee Jeno is now your best friend? Woah, good job, Jun!” Chenle laughed.

“Shush! Not so loud!” Renjun smacked the male in the head, trying to hide his face in case anyone heard.

Chenle laughed again at the assault, his eyes crinkling with joy. “Jun, don’t worry so much! It’s not like we’re in high school anymore. Besides, wouldn’t you prefer Jeno being your friend instead of being kicked out?”

He hated it when his best friend was right.

Glancing around, Renjun looked at their university café. It was much different than high school, what with people being more focused on following their dreams with little room for drama. He definitely preferred this calmer vibe over being in high school again.’

And yet, some things were still like high school. Especially when it came to-

“Renjun!”

 _That voice… it couldn’t be._ Fearfully turning around, Renjun looked towards the café entrance and froze.

Walking _right_ at him, smiling without a care in the world, was Jeno. Around him, was a crowd of females.

Renjun instantly tried to bury his face in his textbook, muttering formulas under his breath in hopes of disappearing.

Beside him, Chenle grinned as he chewed on a sandwich. “Sorry, there’s no portal or demon spell in that book that can get you out of this one. Besides, he already saw you. Better get ready, he’s almost here.”

How does one even prepare for something like this? Renjun groaned and faceplanted into his textbook, praying for a quick death.

Sure enough, Jeno plopped beside Renjun loudly, his smile blinding as he ran a hand through his hair. “What’s up? How was class?”

Looks like he was forced to live another day.

Turning slightly to look at Jeno, Renjun huffed. “…My classes were fine. Did you just get out of a practice?”

Jeno had a slight sheen of sweat on his face and his clothes were damp from sweat. He also smelled of fresh grass and sunshine.

“Yeah, I did! It went great!” Jeno gushed, his eye smile on full display without his glasses. He took a long swig of his water, sighing happily as he wiped his mouth. “I can’t wait to go back to the dorm and shower.”

A few squeals of joy surrounded the table. Renjun had nearly forgotten about the crowd of fangirls, he wasn’t sure how though.

“That’s nice.” He nodded, avoiding the strange looks the girls were giving him. They made him feel like he shouldn’t be there, that he was just in the way. “Listen, I have to get going now.”

Jeno pouted. It was definitely worth a coo, but Renjun would never admit it. “Why so soon? Are you feeling okay?”

Renjun grabbed his bag and looked away. “I have a lot of homework to do. So, I need to head back and-“

He suddenly felt a warmth on his forehead, throwing him off guard for a moment. He looked into Jeno’s eyes and felt his heart skip. Jeno’s hand was on his forehead, his gaze intense as he checked the younger male’s temperature.

It felt like forever until Jeno finally pulled his hand away, and yet, it could’ve been a few seconds. Renjun’s breath was taken away as he met Jeno’s warm expression.

“You don’t have a fever, thank goodness.” Jeno smiled. “Head up to the dorm. I’ll check on you later.”

Renjun would’ve quickly told him no, he didn’t have to do that. If only he knew how to speak, or how to function at all.

Coming to his aid, Chenle hugged Renjun close. “I’ll get him back safe, Jeno. Though, I think it’s best if he focuses on his studies for tonight.” His words were calm, but the meaning behind them were a clear message.

Jeno didn’t take offense and nodded. “Alright. Take care you two.”

Without another word, Chenle guided Renjun through the crowd of people and towards the dormitory, not once looking back.

Renjun could feel Jeno’s touch on his forhead the whole way back.

Needless to say, Chenle got Renjun to their shared dorm and helped the flustered male into bed. He stayed until Renjun got all of his papers done, asking here and there if he was hungry or wanted to play a video game. Chenle was always good company and never asked too many questions.

Later in the evening, Chenle stood up. “I have to run over to Jisung’s dorm. We have to work on our project. I’m honestly praying the kid isn’t dumb with chemicals.”

“At least if he’s dumb, you might get a new hair color.” Renjun grinned.

“Shut up, dummy.” Chenle stuck his tongue out. “Sheesh, such a good friend you are. Ugh.” He grabbed his jacket and backpack. “See you tomorrow, Renjun. Don’t stay up too late.”

“See ya, butt head.” Renjun waved back, focusing on his work until he heard the door close, leaving him in silence.

Pulling away from his desk, Renjun looked out of the window. His dorm room overlooked the city. It was a glorious sight, but there was always one thing that always brought him happiness from the outside.

It was the patch of forest on the horizon line. The forest that seemed to stretch on forever, an irreplaceable spot of beauty that was almost unattainable from the concrete jungle, just teasing its existence with the sun on its wings.

He found himself reaching out for it, his fingertip touching the glass as the sky grew darker. He could still see the forest if he squinted and found himself wanting to be surrounded by the trees and just breathe.

Éclair jumped onto the windowsill, starling Renjun from his trance. “Éclair! Sheesh, you scared me!”

The chubby cat nuzzled into his outstretched fingers, earning a loving smile from Renjun. “What am I gonna do with you buddy?”

Glancing at the clock, Renjun yawned. It may have been Thursday, but it was nearly 9 and he had to eat dinner and shower before bed. Standing up, he wandered into the kitchen and pulled out some ingredients.

Éclair followed him and meowed, sniffing the floor for fallen treats. Renjun rolled his eyes and began to chop some vegetables, singing softly under his breath.

He remembered singing like this with his mother when he was a little kid, listening to the radio in the kitchen as they worked. He could smell the spices in his nose and the taste of lemon on his tongue, a soft smile filtering to his lips at the memory.

Suddenly, there was a knock on his door. Éclair began to hiss, his back arching in fear.

“Don’t be such a sissy, Éclair.” Renjun said, trying not to sound scared himself as he cautiously made his way across the kitchen. Perhaps it was a RA, or maybe Chenle had forgotten something.

The last person he expected, as he opened the door, was Jeno.

The athlete looked sheepish as he met Renjun’s eyes, waving. “Yo.”

Renjun didn’t move. “What are you doing hanging around my dorm?”

Jeno at least had the decency to look guilty. “Well, I came over to see how you were doing. You didn’t look too good at lunch, so I thought I’d stop by. But then I heard you singing and forgot about my mission, then I remembered to knock.”

Renjun wanted to call this guy a bluff and creep, but that honest look in Jeno’s eyes was almost too pure to take. “It’s alright. I was just starting on some ramen for dinner.”

“It does smell good.” Jeno agreed, taking a whiff. Then, he smiled as Éclair wandered up to him. “Hi, Éclair! You’re so cute and chubby!”

Renjun watched the school heart throb nuzzle his cat and blush. He knew he shouldn’t do this, but the words began to flow out before he could stop them. “You wanna come in and eat with me?”

It was almost funny how shocked Jeno looked at first. But then, his expression melted into the smile that made Renjun weak in the knees. “I would love to. Thank you.”

Renjun closed the door and went back to chopping the veggies, glancing at Jeno wander around the tiny space. “You can sit, if you’d like.”

Jeno began to nod, but then he titled his head. “Actually, would I be able to help you cook? I want to do my part instead of just scarfing down your food.”

“That… would be nice. Thank you.” Renjun masked his blush by handing Jeno a pot to boil some water in, quickly going back to chop the veggies.

It was silent for a few minutes, the only sounds being Renjun rinsing the veggies while Jeno boiled the water on the stove top. It was a serene silence, one Renjun didn’t mind in the least.

“So,” Jeno began, placing the ramen noodles into the boiling water. “Do you live in this dorm room by yourself?”

Renjun cut some meat and placed it on a frying pan, standing next to Jeno so he could watch it cook. “No, I share this room with Chenle. He’s out working on a physics project a few doors down.”

“It sounds like the two of you are close.” Jeno’s eyes were on the water.

“He and I have been friends since middle school. He’s more of a brother to me than anything else. We’ve gone through a lot together and I’m happy to have him as my friend.” Renjun smiled as he thought of his playful best friend.

It was silent for a few heartbeats.

“I wish I had a best friend like that.” The words came out easily enough, but they held a pain that Renjun felt in his heart.

“Jeno, you’re the most popular sophomore on our campus.” He thought of the sea of fangirls from before. “You must have at least one best friend.” Renjun insisted, trying to make the male smile.

However, Jeno wouldn’t look up from the stove. “I would consider it, if they actually wanted to get to know me. They just like my status; they don’t want to know anything about the real me.”

Éclair made a sound of discontent, curling into Jeno’s calf. At least it made Jeno smile.

As though by magic, it all made sense. “That’s why you offered to be my friend, in exchange for not telling the school about Éclair. You wanted a friend.”

Jeno nodded, his smile wry. “Pathetic, huh?”

Renjun shook his head. “Not at all. There’s nothing wrong with wanting a friend. You were lonely.”

“Lonely…” Jeno murmured. “I suppose I was.”

“But why me?” Renjun whispered, flipping the meat and placing it on some plates when it was done, unable to meet the other male’s eyes. “I’m no one special. I could be a horrible friend.”

“Renjun.” Jeno’s voice was soft, but his eyes were serious. “I wanted to be your friend, because you’re the only person in this stupid school who isn’t all over me, who isn’t trying to get in my pants. You don’t see me as Jeno the track star, you just see me as Lee Jeno, your quiet neighbor across the hall. Your neighbor who wants to be friends with you.”

Renjun tried to think of something to say, but all he felt was Jeno’s hand on his wrist. He didn’t even know he was shaking, Jeno’s hand instantly calming him.

“You may not think you’re special, but I see so much beauty in you.” Jeno whispered, resting his head on Renjun’s shoulder. “Don’t ever think badly of yourself. I won’t let you believe that you’re not special.”

Renjun closed his eyes, enjoying the warmth as he sighed. “I wish I could see what you see.”

“I’ll make sure you see it, little by little.” Jeno slowly laced his fingers with Renjun’s, bringing their hands up so he could kiss the smaller male’s knuckles.

Their eyes met and Renjun swore, no cheesy BS, that he fell in love with Jeno in that moment.

He didn’t even know the guy, but he realized that he wanted to be friends with this boy more than anything else in the world. Maybe even more than that, one day.

“I’ll make sure you see your beauty, too.” Renjun said quietly, biting his cheek shyly, moving his free hand to caress Jeno’s cheek.

He felt Jeno’s face heat up under his touch as he exposed the prettiest smile, all for Renjun to see. “Thank you, Renjun.”

A huge clatter filled the room and both males jumped in surprise. Éclair was playing with a bowl he had knocked over from the counter, pouncing on it playfully with happy yowls.

Both males laughed shyly and grabbed their food, Renjun’s eyes warm. “Wanna stay up late and talk all night, new friend?”

Jeno smiled and held Renjun’s hand with a nod. “Absolutely.”

Curled on the couch, they spent all night talking, the ramen cold in their hands by the time they fell asleep. On both of their laps, Éclair slept happily, curled into the two humans he cared about the most.

**Author's Note:**

> Thoughts? i might make this chaptered but idk yet. Let me know what you think!  
> Comments and kudos give me strength <333333
> 
> Come chat with me on twitter @monstabaebae  
> Thanks for reading! :D


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